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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. clip — to cut
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — a tin
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com